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Must practice driving a minimum of 50 hours, including 10 hours at night, supervised by a parent or adult age 21 or older with a valid driver’s license.

Must not acquire any driving convictions during the nine-month permit phase.

Number of passengers limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.

All occupants must wear safety belts.

Cell phone use while driving including a hands free device, is prohibited for drivers under age 19, except in the case of an emergency.

Texting while driving is prohibited.

Permit is valid for up to two years.

Sanctions

To obtain court supervision for a traffic violation, a driver must appear in court with a parent/legal guardian and also must attend traffic safety school. Limit one court supervision for serious driving offenses.

A moving violation conviction results in a nine-month waiting period before applying for a driver’s license.

Not eligible for any hardship permit.

Anyone caught driving without a permit is ineligible to obtain a driver’s license until age 18.

Any person under age 18 who has unresolved traffic citations will be denied issuance of a driver’s license.

Driver's License Suspension for Nighttime Driving Restriction Violation – A person under the age of 18 who violates the nighttime driving restriction may have their driving privileges suspended.

Initial Licensing Phase — Drivers Age 16-17

Parent/legal guardian must certify that a minimum of 50 hours of practice driving, including 10 hours at night, has been completed.

Parent/legal guardian must accompany teen to provide written consent to obtain a driver’s license, OR complete and notarize an Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive form.

Must maintain a conviction-free driving record for six months prior to turning 18 before moving to the Full Licensing Phase. A traffic conviction during the Initial Licensing Phase may extend restrictions beyond age 18.

All occupants must wear safety belts.

For the first 12 months of licensing, or until the driver turns 18, whichever occurs first, the number of passengers is limited to one person under age 20, unless the passenger(s) is a sibling, stepsibling, child or stepchild of the driver. After this period, the number of passengers is limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.

Cell phone use while driving including a hands free device, is prohibited for drivers under age 19, except in the case of an emergency.

Texting while driving is prohibited.

Sanctions

To obtain court supervision for a traffic violation, a driver must appear in court with a parent/legal guardian and also must attend traffic safety school. Limit one court supervision for serious driving offenses.

A moving violation conviction before age 18 generates a Secretary of State warning letter to the parent and teenager.

A moving violation conviction that occurs within the first year of licensing will result in a six-month extension of the passenger limitation, which allows only one unrelated passenger under age 20.

Two moving violation convictions occurring within a 24-month period results in a minimum one-month driver’s license suspension. Suspension length is determined by the seriousness of the offenses and the driver’s prior driving history. An additional driver’s license suspension will result for each subsequent moving violation following the initial suspension.

Suspended drivers must attend a remedial education course, may be retested and must pay a $70 reinstatement fee.

Any person under age 18 who has unresolved traffic citations will be denied issuance of a driver’s license.

Driver's License Suspension for Nighttime Driving Restriction Violation – A person under the age of 18 who violates the nighttime driving restriction may have their driving privileges suspended.

Full Licensing Phase - Drivers 18-20

No age-related restrictions apply except in cases where a driver fails to move from the Initial Licensing Phase to the Full Licensing Phase.

Cell phone use while driving including a hands free device, is prohibited for drivers under age 19, except in the case of an emergency.

Texting while driving is prohibited.

Effective July 1, 2014, a person age 18-20, who did not take an approved driver education course in high school must successfully complete a six hour adult driver education course before obtaining a driver’s license.

Sanctions

Limit one court supervision for serious driving offenses.

Two moving violation convictions occurring within a 24-month period results in a minimum one-month driver’s license suspension. Suspension length is determined by the seriousness of the offenses and the driver’s prior driving history. An additional driver’s license suspension will result for each subsequent moving violation following the initial suspension.

Suspended drivers are required to pay a $70 reinstatement fee.

Laws Parents and Teens Should Know

Effective January 1, 2018, Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry – Applicants age 16 and older will be asked to join the registry. More information on the Organ Donor Program is available at www.LifeGoesOn.com or by calling 800-210-2106.

Parental Consent — Drivers ages 16-17 must have the written consent of a parent/legal guardian to obtain a driver’s license. The parent/legal guardian who gave initial consent may cancel the minor’s license at any time, for any reason, until the driver turns 18 by contacting the Secretary of State’s office. Driving privileges will not be reinstated until the parent/legal guardian who withdrew consent, once again provides consent or until the driver turns 18, whichever occurs first. The teen driver must reapply for a driver’s license, take all applicable exams and pay the appropriate fees.

Parental Access to Teen Driving Records — Parents may view their teen's (under age 18) driving record free through the Secretary of State Web site. Several security features will protect the teen's privacy and ensure that only the parents/legal guardians are granted access to the teen's driving record. Parental Access to Teen Driving Records

Driver's License Suspension for Alcohol Consumption — A person under the age of 21 who is found guilty or granted court supervision for a violation of state law or local ordinance relating to illegal consumption, possession, purchase or receipt of alcohol, regardless of whether a vehicle was involved will face a loss of driving privileges, in addition to any fine imposed. Court supervision for any of these offenses will result in a 3 month suspension of driving privileges; a first conviction results in a 6 month suspension of driving privileges; a second conviction results in a 12 month suspension of driving privileges and a third or subsequent conviction will result in a revocation of driving privileges.

Street Racing — Driving privileges will be revoked for any person convicted of street racing, and law enforcement may impound the vehicle for up to five days.